The Effect of Haemonchus Contortus Infection on Productive Performance of Awassi Sheep and Black Iraqi Goats

Abstract

This study was conducted to find out the effect of the infection with H.contortus on some productive parameters in local Awassi lambs and Black Iraqi kids. Ten lambs and ten kids of 8-9 months age from veterinary medicine college farm were selected and each kind of animals were divided into control(n=4) and infected (n=6). Infected groups were drenched with 500 L3/Kg. body weights, while control groups were kept clean from any infection. Fecal egg counts (FEC), body weight and clinical signs were carried out weekly and recorded for 11 weeks and production. Physical traits of the wool and hair were evaluated at the end of the experiment. The results of FEC showed that the lambs were significantly higher (P<0.01) than the kids along the experimental period. Significant depression in body weight gain in infected groups was recorded and the infected lambs were more affected than the kids. Also there were a significant depression (P<0.01) in wool production and physical traits of infected lambs more than hair traits of infected kids. Infected kids showed a partial self-cure in the 6th week compared to week 8th for infected lambs.